On The Run
by Wakkowarnerlover
Summary: Blamed for a crime he didn't commit, Perry depends on the Flynn-Fletcher summer road trip to help him escape the police. Unbeknownst to him, the real perpetrator, a trigger-happy ex-girlfriend, is tracking him down to force him to keep his silence.
1. Chapter 1

Perry jumped up onto Candace's bed, patted down a spot, and curled up into a ball.

Candace's bed was very soft, especially after a hard day at work.

"PHINEAS!" Candace screamed.

Perry chattered. He had been noticed.

"GET YOUR UGLY BLUE BREADLOAF WITH A TAIL OFF OF MY BED!"

"Coming, Candace!" Phineas said. He came into Candace's room. "Oh, there you are, Perry."

"Get him off!" Candace said.

"Okay, okay." Phineas picked Perry up.

"What are you still doing awake, anyway?" Candace asked.

"Ferb and I are reading about opossums." Phineas said.

"Boring." Candace said.

"Not really." Phineas said. "Opossums have opposable thumbs on their back feet. And there's a type of shrimp called the opossum shrimp. You can see through them."

"KEEP IT DOWN!" Linda shouted from her bedroom. She didn't care how late the kids stayed up, so long as they didn't keep her awake.

"Goodnight, Candace." Phineas whispered. He carried Perry back to his room.

Ferb was holding a giant book entitled "OPOSSUMS ARE AWESOME." He looked up at Phineas and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm always up for more opossum facts!" Phineas said, sitting down next to Ferb.

Perry squirmed out of Phineas's arms and hopped into his pet bed. He walked around a few times to get the blanket the way he wanted it, lay down, and pulled Snugglebear next to him.

* * *

_Perry dreamed he was a baby again, sitting on a little rock._

_His mother came over to him and picked him up by the scruff of the neck. She placed him down in the middle of his brothers and sisters._

_"Inch-tall rock is too filled with danger." She explained. "You could fall off of it and get sand on your head."_

_One of Perry's brothers started ambling toward Inch-tall rock. The unconcerned Pansy followed him to bring him back._

_It was all very familiar to Perry, save for the giant opossum that was dancing ballet across Danville Zoo while eating hash browns and transparent shrimp._

_But then the dream changed. Perry was sitting in his chair at the agency, staring glumly at the floor. He heard the door to his lair open._

_It was Doofenshmirtz, driving a golf-cart into the room. He parked next to Perry and banged on a plate._

_"Boom-bigga-boom-boom-bigga-bigga-boom-boom!" He sang as he drummed._

* * *

Perry woke up then. Phineas was banging on a little toy drum. "Boom-bigga-boom-boom-bigga-bigga-boom-boom!"

"Phineas, you invaded my dreams." Perry growled.

"Sorry. I'm trying to wake Ferb up. He's out cold."

"Is he breathing?"

Phineas kicked Ferb.

"The Phineas life test." Perry muttered. "Kick the supposed dead one in the side."

"It's an inflatable decoy." Phineas said, after a moment. "I wonder where he went."

"Probably out building something." Perry yawned.

"You look funny when you yawn. Your mouth opens really wide."

"So does yours." Perry retorted. "Be quiet, I didn't finish my yawn. You interrupted it."

"How can someone interrupt a yawn?"

"You're doing it again!"

"How?"

"I don't know, but every time you talk I can't yawn!"

"You're kidding me." Phineas said. "Right?"

Perry finished his yawn. "No, I'm not."

Phineas started to yawn.

"Gumdrop, gumdrop, Ducky Momo apple." Perry said.

"Wow, you're right. Yawns CAN be interrupted."

Ferb climbed in through the bedroom window.

"Ferb!" Phineas said.

"Ferbster!" Perry padded over to him. "Where were you?"

Ferb handed Phineas a small device.

Phineas looked at it. "That's weird. Our potential energy reader is sensing hundreds of explosives down at the Danville Abandoned Factory. It would have sensed them before if they'd been here before tonight. Did you hear about this before, Ferb?"

Ferb shook his head.

"You only saw it just tonight, huh?" Phineas said.

"This has rogue agent written all over it." Perry said. "And by rogue agent, I mean Dennis."

"Dennis had his memory erased and was locked in the O.W.C.A prison." Phineas said. "But they're gonna let him out again once they've trained him to…"

Perry stared at him.

"Um…" Phineas swallowed. "At least, that's what they SHOULD do."

"Phinny… have you been spying?"

"No!" Phineas shook his head. "I mean, not directly. I planted a recording tape… um… in the conference room."

"Why?" Perry asked calmly.

"I just… I wanted to make sure you were… safe and stuff." Phineas said, looking embarrassed.

"First of all, they wouldn't blow me up. Sure, sometimes they test things on me or I have to go through some intense training, but except for the laser sharks, the agency is pretty safe. Second, you are NOT supposed to worry about me. I can take care of myself. THIRD, Monogram TRUSTS you two! If he finds that tape recorder…"

Phineas looked pale. "…Laser sharks?"

"Sometimes he forgets to turn them off. Phin, PLEASE. Don't interfere with the agency. I'm walking on eggshells around Monogram as is. If he thinks you know too much, he'll wipe your memory and ship me off to another home without a second thought. And I wouldn't like that."

"Sorry." Phineas said in a small voice, his eyes glassy with tears.

"Don't cry. I just don't want you to get in trouble on my account, okay?"

Phineas nodded.

"So, with Dennis out of the equation… what exactly is the explosive reading?"

Ferb frowned. "Well, at the moment, it says the explosives aren't dangerous."

"Duh. No explosives are dangerous until someone ignites them… which someone is probably planning to do."

"What are we gonna do?" Phineas asked. "I mean, it won't affect US, but…"

"If you figure out what the explosives are, maybe I can figure out a way to move them." Perry said.

"They're explosives." Ferb said.

"You're a great help." Perry muttered.

* * *

_Princess had joined the agency two years before Perry, and not out of will. Both of her parents had gone missing after her birth and she had been taken to the O.W.C.A by a surveyor agent, who had found her wandering around in the woods._

_She was a quick learner and had found a friend in Opal, an ostrich who was usually ignored around the agency._

_"So you haven't met anyone yet?" Opal asked as they made their way around the maze of picnic tables in Danville Park._

_"None of the other agents." Princess said._

_"Well, over there is Stephanie." Opal said, pointing to a shrew chewing on a little sandwich. "She's in our division. And she used to be my only friend, before you."_

_They sat down at Stephanie's table. She eyed Princess curiously._

_"Hey." Princess said._

_"Hi." Stephanie said._

_Princess looked at Stephanie's milk carton. A picture of a piranha was on the side._

_"The Perfect Piranhas, Live In Concert." Princess read. She hoped she had gotten all the words right._

_"I know, right?" Stephanie said, suddenly excited. "They're the best band ever. Even after Glen quit the group. I still listen to them every day. You know they used to be O.W.C.A agents?"_

_"I've never heard their music, but I know someone who loves them." Princess said._

_"You should check them out." Stephanie said. "They're good. I just love their single, 'Chomping on Flesh'."_

_Opal's watch beeped. She sighed. "I have to go. Dr. Sandra is causing trouble again."_

_After Opal left, two animals came to their table. They didn't look very friendly._

_"Hi, Stephanie." One of them said._

_"Maude." Stephanie said in a shaky voice. "Lily." She tore away._

_Maude stared at Princess. "You new here?"_

_Princess shrugged._

_Maude picked up Stephanie's milk carton. "What the heck is on this thing?"_

_"A piranha, obviously." Princess said, deciding she didn't like Maude's tone. "And is there a problem?"_

_"Yeah, there's a problem. Because the Perfect Piranhas suck." Maude crushed the milk carton and glared at Princess. _

_"What's on your head, anyway?" Lily asked. "An attempt at a hairstyle, or Stephanie's dead twin?"_  
_Princess grasped Lily by the shoulders and shoved her back, surprised with her own strength. "I'm not taking this, jerk."_

_"You are so gonna get it." Maude snapped, throwing a punch at Princess._

_Princess ducked, grabbed Maude, and tossed her flat on the ground. She had meant to throw her in the grass, but missed._

_Maude landed flat on the concrete. Agents surrounded her in excitement and shock._

_Princess turned and stormed in the direction of the agency. She didn't know it yet, but she would be walking away from a lot of things in life, leaving a mess for someone else to fix._


	2. Chapter 2

"Fireworks?"

"Fireworks."

"Why would someone fill an abandoned factory with FIREWORKS?" Perry asked. "Why not DYNAMITE?"

"Because dynamite isn't as pretty when it explodes." Phineas said.

"They both make fire." Ferb said. "I don't see the prettiness difference."

"It doesn't make sense." Perry said. "If they did ignite those fireworks, it would only explode two places: The abandoned factory, and the abandoned junkyard. Places no one cares about. Why would you explode two useless places? You'd get arrested for nothing."

"Maybe we should check it out." Phineas said.

"I. You two are not going anywhere."

Phineas frowned, and Ferb made puppy eyes.

"Fine," Perry sighed. "WE."

* * *

The bottom floor of the abandoned factory was nearly empty, and the stairs that led to the second floor had been boarded up.

"Well." Ferb said.

"This is boring." Phineas said. He bent down and picked up a rock. "Hey, look, Ferb. Sedimentary."

"Looks like someone has been here recently." Perry said. "There's a can of spray paint in the corner there, and it looks like it was just used."

"What color is it?" Phineas picked it up. "Neon green." He shook the can and sprayed his newly found rock.

"Don't get any on the walls or the floors. That's vandalism." Perry warned.

"I'm just spraying the rock." Phineas insisted.

Perry climbed the stairs to the boarded-up area and knocked on it. Hearing a hollow noise, he placed a melting device on the wood.

It burned a small hole. Perry climbed through. Phineas and Ferb followed him.

"So that's where the fireworks are." Ferb said.

Powerful fireworks took up the whole room. There were more stairs, which Perry assumed led to more floors and more fireworks.

"Look, someone vandalized." Phineas pointed at the wall. SILENCERS was sprayed across it in green and blue.

Perry froze.

"What?" Phineas asked.

"I… know that gang sign." Perry said slowly. "An animal gang. Former O.W.C.A agents."

"Rogues?" Ferb asked.

"No. No. They had no beef with the agency. Only with rival gangs." He turned to the fireworks and took a shaky breath. "So, you guys still wanna help me move all four-hundred tons?"

"Why were they called Silencers?" Phineas asked. "Or did they just write that?"

"They 'silenced' their enemies. That gang's bad news. Bad guys. Bad, bad, bad. Now. Fireworks. Need to be moved. Think."

"Perhaps we could load them on to a giant crane." Ferb said.

"And put them where?" Phineas asked.

"We could hold a giant fireworks show in the backyard."

Phineas brightened. "Yeah!"

"With illegal fireworks?" Perry inquired.

"Oh." Phineas said. "Never mind, then."

"Some of these are safe." Perry said, holding up a small fireworks tube. "The rest, not so much."

"So why do the Silencers want to blow up the old abandoned factory and the old abandoned junkyard?" Phineas asked.

"And why not the old abandoned Old Abandoned amusement park?" Ferb added.

"I don't know." Perry said. He handed the harmless firework tube to Ferb. "It's hard to understand gang logic. Maybe they just do it to show off how powerful they are."

"That's stupid." Phineas said. "Wasting all their money on something like that."

"Who says they paid for all these?" Perry asked.

They were silent.

"Let's go." Perry finally said.

"What about the fireworks?"

"I'll notify Monogram about them."

They climbed back through the hole and left the factory. Phineas pocketed his rock.

* * *

"Where were you, boys?" Linda asked when they came in.

"Out." Phineas said.

"All right. Don't forget to put down a clean water bowl for Perry."

"We won't." Phineas said.

A loud banging noise sounded in the distance, followed by several popping and snapping sounds.

Everyone froze.

"Guess it's a good thing we got out of there when we did." Perry said softly.

Linda switched on the TV and changed the channel to the news.

"BREAKING NEWS!" The incredibly handsome anchorman said. "Some crazy guy has just exploded Danville Abandoned Factory with fireworks, also destroying the Danville Abandoned Junkyard in the process! Many animals were seen fleeing the junkyard just before the explosion. The suspected arsonist, a small creature yet to be identified, escaped from the factory just seconds before the blast. And onto other news, celebrity Kendrine Adems is getting married to Lester Clownington, who provided the voice for the world-famous children's toy, Carlos the Caring Clown!"

Perry growled.

"He was like, 'Do you wanna get married'?" Kendrine Adems was saying. "And I was like, 'Oh yeah, uh huh!' and he was like 'Oh my gosh' and then I was like totally like, inspired for my new single. It's called 'Oh My Gosh'."

Perry stepped on the remote. The TV turned off.

"Goodness, that's frightening." Linda said.

"Kendrine marrying Carlos, or the exploding building?" Perry asked.

* * *

Perry's phone rang in the middle of the night, waking Phineas. He looked down at Perry, who was snoozing peacefully, one paw over his teddy bear.

The phone continued to ring.

Phineas picked it up. "Hello?"

A ferocious barking was all he could hear on the other end.

"Um… Do you speak English? This is Phineas."

Three sharp barks.

"I guess that's a no. Um… Perry's asleep right now."

The barking became loud and frantic.

Phineas gently shook Perry. "Okay, I'm getting him. I think that's what you're asking me to do, anyway."

* * *

Perry drowsily rolled over so Phineas could rub his belly. He liked waking up to petting.

"Perry? Some dog's on the phone."

"What phone?" Perry murmured.

"Yours."

Perry jolted into consciousness and grabbed the phone from Phineas. "Yeah?"

"Hey, Perry! Um, this is Devon… I was working late at the agency when these police started banging on the door… and so I got out through one of the exits, which was stupid, I was safe in there… but I locked myself out and THEY'RE COMING FOR ME!"

"Why?"

"I don't know! I did nothing wrong!"

"Okay. Don't panic. Which exit are you at?"

"Exit 5642."

"Okay. Be right there." Perry stuck his phone in his fur pocket and climbed out the window.

"Where are you going?" Phineas asked.

"Down to the agency. I'll be back." Perry slid down the tree and jumped into an entrance.

He landed in his chair and fiddled with the mechanics on his desk. It was kind of creepy with all of the lights out.

Perry pulled his phone out. "Dev, you still there?"

"Yes!"

"Okay. A lift should be coming up to you now."

"Wait. Wait." Devon said. "I can hear them talking. They aren't looking for me."

"Well, that's good…"

"Get out!" Devon suddenly said.

"What?"

"Get out! Run! You're who they were looking for here!"

"What?" Perry gasped. "Why?"

"The arsonist this morning was a platypus- they found the entrance, get out, Perry, GET OUT!"

Perry didn't need to be told twice. He slipped his phone in his fur pocket and ran down the halls to the back exit.

He burst through the doors and ran into a random direction. Monogram had always told him not to go anywhere obvious if he was being pursued.

Perry turned down an alley and jumped over a chain-link fence. He was in a neighborhood of old houses.

He banged on the fourth door he saw.

"Who is it?" Called a voice.

Perry nearly fell over. He knew that voice. He steadied himself on the porch and knocked rapidly on the door. "Let me in! Please!"

"Perry? What are you doing out after-"

"Shut up and let me IN, Ernest! Please!"

The door opened, and Perry scrambled in, slamming the door behind him. He fell to the floor, panting, and looked up at Ernest the eagle.

Ernest was wearing a huge gray t-shirt that said MY FRIEND WENT TO THE BELUGA WHALE CONVENTION AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS SHIRT.

"Day off?" Perry asked.

"Yes. If I had known you were going to come by, I would have paid more attention to what I put on."

"Sorry. Let me explain…"

"I saw it all on the news." Ernest said. "You were framed. The suspect happened to be your same species, size and weight."

Perry nodded. "I don't know what I'm gonna do. I've never gotten into trouble like this before."

Ernest frowned. "You'll have to stay somewhere where they won't come looking for you."

"Like where?"

"Like here." Ernest started toward the back of the house. "Come on, I'll set you up a bed on the couch."


	3. Chapter 3

Ernest's house wasn't anything like Perry had imagined.

A big leather couch filled up a lot of the living room. The television was still on, playing an old TV series. An empty can of soda was lopsided on the floor.

"Excuse the mess." Ernest said, tossing his soda can into a plastic red trash bin.

"You have your own house?" Perry asked.

"Security agents work random hours. The host families would become suspicious." Ernest explained. He gestured toward the kitchen, which was only separated from the living room by the counter. "I was making a late-night dinner. Do you want anything?"

"Maybe some water." Perry said.

Ernest reached into the fridge and tossed him a bottle. Perry opened it and drank gratefully.

"Your name will probably clear quickly," Ernest said. "Seeing as this is technically your first offense."

"I didn't do it."

"I know."

Perry sat down on the couch. "They won't find me here, right?"

"I doubt it. Unless they followed you."  
"I had a good head start. Should I hide back at home?"

Ernest shook his head. "That's the worst place to hide."

"How could they know I live there?"

"Agency files. They can get hold of anything they want."

"It's so unfair." Perry grumbled. "I didn't even do it."

"You're safe here." Ernest assured him. "No one ever comes by."

"Gets lonely, huh?" Perry asked.

Ernest gave a sad smile. "Yes."

* * *

Perry woke up cramped from sleeping on the couch. He tried to stretch, but it didn't help much.

He flopped down on the couch cushion.

"Everything okay?" Ernest asked, coming into the living room. He was still wearing his Beluga shirt.

"Stiff." Perry said.

"I'm sorry." Ernest said.

"I'm okay." Perry rubbed his sore back and looked around. "How long do you think I have to wait until I can go?"

"Monogram sent a message. He's going to try and clear things up with the police. Hopefully you can get home soon."

"The boys." Perry muttered, leaning back.

"I will let them know you're here." Ernest said.

Perry squinted. "Just one thing. At the agency, you're terrifying. Here, you're nice."

Ernest smiled. "Here, I'm off-duty."

* * *

"That was too close." Rex said. "We almost got caught that time. Why can't ya just be more careful?"

Prince glared at him and stuffed a couple of chips into her mouth. "Noth my problemth."

"YES, it's your problem!" Rex said. "Do you know how many people witnessed you fleeing the scene? It's only a matter of time before the police track YOU down and find US!"

"They won't find me." Prince said, propping her boots up on the glass table Rex had worked so hard to steal. "I'm stealth."

Rex snorted. "THAT'S for sure."

"Come on, Rex." Mike the mongoose said. "She's in the clear already. The police pegged the crime on someone else." He blushed as he said it.

"THAT makes me feel better." Prince said sarcastically.

"They're gonna find out." Rex said. "And it'll all have been for nothing. That gang hiding in the junkyard got away."

"They're not gonna find out." Prince said. "I give you my word."  
"That's not worth much." Rex growled.

"You're going to trip if you don't lace up your boots." Mike said, although he might have been speaking to the floor instead of Prince.

"Good idea." Prince smirked. "Anyone want to show me how to do it?"

Rex scratched his ear, and Mike looked away. Rex had been an alley cat for most of his life. Mike had never met a human in his.

Neither knew anything about shoelaces.

"Didn't think so." Prince mumbled.

A basenji crawled under the board that served as an entrance to the hideout of the Silencers. He looked worried.

"What is it, Dane?" Rex asked.

"I found out someone was snooping in the factory before Prince blew it up." Dane said.

Prince snickered. "They wouldn't have found much. I boarded up the entryway to the fireworks."

"You used fireworks?" Rex asked.

"They make prettier explosions than dynamite."

"I was looking in the rubble to make sure you hadn't left any clues behind for the police," Dane said. "And I found this strange device on the remains of the stairs." Dane said. He held up a little blinking circle.

"A melting device." Rex said darkly. "So someone HAS been up there."  
Prince jumped up and grabbed the circle from Dane's paw. "Impossible."

"Everything's possible when you aren't CAREFUL!" Rex snapped, shoving Prince aside. He turned back to Dane. "Do you think…"

"The police?" Dane asked. "I don't…"

"It's not the police." Prince said.

"How do you know?" Rex demanded.

She only glared at him.

"Well, if you know who it IS, make sure they don't talk." Rex said. "Or I'll turn you in to the police myself."

"Your most valuable gang member?" Prince mocked. "Of course you would."

Mike, however, looked worried.

* * *

"The Clownington/Adems wedding was a huge success…"

"Put your hands together for Marty the rabbit boy and his…"

"Suspect of Danville Factory arson is still on the loose…"

Perry gave up and switched off the television. He was bored beyond belief.

Ernest had to work that morning, and Perry was stuck inside his house with nothing to do.

All because some platypus had decided to randomly explode Danville's most worthless building.

His phone rang. Grateful for the call, Perry instantly picked it up. "Hello?"

"Perry!" Phineas said. "It's breakfast time. Don't you want food?"

"Um… I can't really come home right now."

"Why? What happened?"

"Cops."

"Cops?"

"They're chasing me. They think I blew up the factory."

"What?"

"I can't come home, Phineas. They'll find me there."

"Well, you're gonna have to come home. We leave this afternoon, remember? For our summer road trip. They won't find you on our trip, right?"

"Oh. Right. Um… let me find out what the Flittering Eagle thinks, and then I'll call you back…"

"Perry, you HAVE to come with us. It's the first summer we've ever REALLY spent together, like, knowing you completely. Aside from that time we went into the Second Dimension, I mean."

"I'll try, Phinny."

Someone knocked on the door.

"Was that knocking?" Phineas asked.

"Yeah."

"I saw this horror movie once where this guy got a knock on his door and he opened it and…"

"Not helping." Perry made his way toward the door and looked out the peephole.

Three policemen were standing on the doorstep.

"Hey, Phineas. I just found out about a new game. Escape from the Flittering Eagle's house."

"Oh no, they found you?"

"Not yet. Stay on the line?"

"Where are you?"

"Teddybear Lane."

"And I assume you're in the house with the three policemen on the doorstep?"

"Phinny, what on earth…"

"Hey, mister! Mister! My cat's stuck in a tree!"

Perry looked cautiously out the window. Phineas was waving frantically at the police, his cell phone still in his hand. "My cat! She can't get down!"

"We're a little busy, kid." One of the policemen said.

Phineas's eyes became watery. "Mommy always told me police helped people. I… I guess she was wrong."

A policeman sighed. "Fine, kid. Lead us to the cat."

"Need me to call a friend to get up in the backyard tree?" Perry whispered into the phone.

"Yes!" Phineas whispered back.

"Kay. I'll get Carrie." Perry waited until Phineas and the policemen were out of sight.

Carrie agreed to get up in the Flynn-Fletcher tree in exchange for some Fishy Wishy treats. Perry promised he would buy some the first chance he got.

Perry slipped out of Ernest's house and took the long way home. By the time he got there, the police and Carrie had gone.

He came in through the pet flap and found his breakfast.

Phineas and Ferb patted him while he ate.

"Nice con artistry back there, Phinny." Perry commented.

Phineas shrugged. "I got the idea from Saturday morning cartoons."

"There's a surveyor agent named Maude." Perry said. "She had her memory wiped for some-reason-or-other, and the only thing she remembers are TV commercials. She has tons of them memorized."

"Weird." Phineas said.

"Come visit Mr. Slushie Dog!" Ferb recited. "Slushie Dogs will never get any better!"

"Again, WEIRD." Phineas said.

Ferb didn't look terribly offended.

Candace came downstairs, blabbing on the phone. "Ohmygosh, Stacey! No way. No way. I can't believe her new single is out already. I have to go check."

They heard her go into the living room and switch on the TV.

"And now, the new single from Kendrine Adems Clownington! Sing it, Kendrine!"

"Oh, my gosh! Oh oh oh oh my gosh! Oh oh, my gosh! Oh oh oh oh my gosh!"

"CAN'T A GUY EAT IN PEACE?" Perry yowled.

* * *

"You got out just in time." Ernest said. "They broke down my door."

"I'm sorry." Perry said. "I had no idea it'd be so… dangerous for you to keep me."

"I'm fine. Where are you now?"

"Home."

"Agent P!"

"Relax, I'm heading to Colorado in an hour. They won't think to look there."

"Be careful." Ernest warned.

"I will." Perry hung up and watched Phineas and Ferb, who were playing their new Zombie Dance 4 game.

Phineas was trying to do the dance steps using only one leg. Perry wasn't sure why, though. Ferb was dancing very strangely.

"FLESH-EATING FERB IS THE WINNER." The game proclaimed.

Phineas stopped dancing. "No fair! My leg fell out right before the end!"

"Well, I lost two eyes and a hipbone." Ferb said.

"You can dance without eyes and a hipbone!"

"Nuh-uh! I couldn't do the Humerus Hula or the Cranium Conga!"

"Well, I couldn't even ATTEMPT the Bony Breakdance!"

"But you did the Tibia Twist, didn't you?" Ferb retorted. "I won fair and square."

Perry burst out laughing.

Both boys turned and stared at him.

"What are you gonna do next?" Perry snickered. "The Muscle Macarena?"

"No, that's not until level ten." Ferb said.


	4. Chapter 4

"Your father and I will pick you kids up once we get the van." Linda said.

"Can I go with you guys?" Candace asked.

"You need to supervise the boys." Linda said.

"But why do we have to hang around the pet store?" Candace complained.

"Perry likes the pet store." Phineas said, putting on Perry's leash.

Perry chewed on it.

"We'll be back in less than an hour." Linda said. She handed each of her children a dollar. "You can buy Perry some treats if you want."

"Bye, mom!" Phineas said.

They went into the pet store. Perry sniffed the ground.

"He better not get any ideas." Candace said. "Every time he goes on the floor, I always have to…"

"Cool, look at the hamsters!" Phineas said. He and Ferb led Perry over to the hamster cages.

A rather large hamster was running on its wheel.

Perry pawed at the glass.

"You like the hamster, Perry?" Phineas asked.

"Please." Candace said. "He probably doesn't even notice it. Or know what it is."

"After I run, I shall nap." The hamster squeaked.

"Busy schedule." Perry commented.

"Ooh!" Candace said, disappearing into an aisle. "We should get Perry a fancy new collar."

"Perry hates collars." Phineas said.

Perry began chewing on his leash again to emphasize Phineas's statement.

"How about a cute little hairclip, then?" Candace asked, holding up a tiny hairclip with a plastic pink bow on the front.

Perry slammed his tail against the ground in disapproval.

"Uh…" Phineas said.

"A little too girly." Ferb said.

"They have little t-shirts for pets." Candace said, looking through the merchandise. "If only Mr. Cutie Patootie were still here. He would look SOOOO adorable in this little pink dress!"

"Birds!" Perry shouted, dragging Phineas over to a glass cage. "I love looking at birds."

"Oh look, he found his cousins." Candace said sarcastically.

Perry watched the colorful parakeets hop around. One parakeet was standing directly in front of the glass, looking at him.

"Hello. My name is Pajamas." The parakeet said.

"I'm Perry." Perry said.

"We are blue twins." The parakeet said. "Except you are outside and I am inside. I was outside when I was a baby parakeet. But then I came here. And now I am stuck for the end of time."

"Where did you live before?"

"In a nest in a pretty tree by a pretty stream." Pajamas said.

"The top of your cage looks loose. I could open it for you." Perry offered.

Pajamas cocked his head to the side. "I cannot fly."

"Oh." Perry said quietly.

"What's he saying?" Phineas asked.

"His name's Pajamas and he wants to get out. I told him I could open his cage, but he's been pinioned. People are jerks."

"Aw." Phineas said. "I wish we could help him. Wait, how much does he cost?"

"Three dollars." Perry said.

Phineas dug around in his pocket. "Okay, one, two, two and a half… Ferb, do you have fifty cents?"

Ferb handed over two quarters.

Phineas smiled. "Perfect. All right, Pajamas! Time to get you out of there."

* * *

Pajamas sat on Phineas's shoulder as they browsed around the pet store some more.

"Wonder what your mother's gonna say." Perry said.

"She'll probably be cool with it." Ferb said.

"Sorry, Pajamas." Phineas said. "I guess you're not technically free yet. But since you can't fly yet… I mean, we couldn't just release you into the wild again. It'd be dangerous."

"I am happy." Pajamas tweeted. "I am out of the glass box."

"He's just happy to be out of his cage." Perry said.

"That's good." Phineas said. "He's a cute little bird."

Pajamas began to happily sing.

"Now let's find a toy for Perry." Phineas said.

They went down the toy aisle. Perry tugged loose a rubber ball from the shelf.

"Guess he wants that one." Phineas said.

They took the ball with them to the checkout line.

"Do you have any treats for platypuses?" Ferb asked the man.

The man put Perry's ball in a bag. "Actually, yes." He pulled out a small sack from underneath the register. "They're called Monotreme Munchies."

"Sounds delicious." Perry said.

Ferb paid and they all went to find Candace.

* * *

"Everyone ready for our big trip?" Linda asked.

Perry placed his new ball in his pet basket, which was in the back of the RV. Snugglebear was on the couch, and his favorite toy hamburger was on one of the seats. His rubber chewing ring was in the middle of the floor.

"I can't sit down with Perry's slimy old teddy bear in the way!" Candace said.

"Platypi are very particular about where they place their things." Ferb said.

Pajamas hopped into the air and descended to Candace's head.

"ACK! MOMM!" Candace shouted.

"Settle down, Candace." Linda said. "Boys, get Perry in his basket so we can go."

Phineas picked Perry up and put him in his pet bed. Perry chewed his new ball.

Pajamas began to sing. It was a song about Candace's head.

"Are we ready to go?" Lawrence asked.

"YEAH!" Phineas shouted. Ferb pumped his fist in agreement.

"I guess." Candace muttered.

"Off we go, then!" Lawrence said. He began to drive.

"I wonder why there are so many police cars pulling up beside the pet shop." Linda said.

Perry exchanged a glance with the boys.

They had left just in time.

* * *

"I bet it was Rick, the leader of that disgusting gang… what were they called…"

"It wasn't Rick." Prince objected. She dug around in the chest-of-drawers.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Rex growled. "You're supposed to be looking for whoever-it-is. He could be anywhere." Rex stared her down. "A he, or a she?"

"Shut up." Prince produced a tiny object from the drawer.

"That stupid penguin bracelet charm you used to wear all the time?" Rex started to laugh. "THAT'S gonna help us HOW?"

Prince turned to Dane. "You. Smell it."

Dane sniffed the penguin charm. "You. The chest-of-drawers. Old clothing. Faint scent of coins."

"Ugh, I know. Sniff deeper. There should be another smell."

Dane scrunched up his nose. "There is. I can't place it. Organism, definitely."

"Yes."

"You want me to follow that scent?"

"Yes. And I'll follow it with you."

"It's very faint." Dane said dubiously. "I don't know if I'll be able to track it."

"Well, be able." Prince snatched the charm out from under Dane's nose and clipped it to her chain collar. "If you like, I can find you some better scents. Although finding them may be a bit more… dangerous. Enemy territory."

"It's your choice." Dane said. "You want me to find this organism, right? I can't pick up any scent of it at the moment."

"We're not outside, idiot. Once we are, you may get a stronger idea of the scent."

"And if I don't?" Dane raised an eyebrow.

Prince sighed. "We'll have to pay a visit to somewhere I hoped never to visit again."

* * *

"There's no water." Candace said.

Pajamas was perched on the sink faucet of the RV, looking into the basin. He seemed to take a liking to shiny things, and the sink was very shiny.

Perry was running in circles around the RV. They had been driving for hours, and it was a relief to finally be on a still surface.

Linda sighed. "Are you sure?"

Candace turned on the sink. Nothing happened.

"Blueberries!" Pajamas sang. "Blueberries, blueberries, blueberries…"

Linda frowned. "Well… there's nothing we can do about it tonight. We'll stop at a store tomorrow."

Perry began running circles around Linda and Candace.

"Boys!" Linda called.

Phineas picked Perry up. Perry struggled to break free.

"Let him outside." Linda said. "He needs to run around."

Pajamas hopped onto Candace's shoulder.

Phineas took Perry outside and put him on the ground. Perry ran happily around the trailer.

When his muscles felt good again, Perry climbed back inside and lay down on the floor, panting.

Phineas offered him a sip of water from his bottle.

"Put it in a bowl." Perry said.

"Germophob." Phineas accused.

Perry stuck out his tongue.

"It's a wonder you're not afraid of getting platypus spit on your mouth, but Perry's afraid of getting human spit on his mouth." Ferb said.

Phineas put down a bowl, and Perry drank.

"It's scary the police tracked you to the pet store." Phineas whispered, in case Candace and Linda, who were arguing in the bathroom, could hear them.

"I know." Perry said. "But don't worry. The police only know about my agent life. Not my home life. They aren't looking for a mindless platypus."

* * *

Pinky the Chihuahua and Harry the husky were heading toward the front elevator.

"I don't think he did it." Pinky said. "Perry's done some crazy things, but I doubt he'd blow up a random factory. Besides, where would he get the money for the explosives?"

"I don't know him very well, but he's a good fighter." Harry said. "I too doubt it. An agent of his-"

"Shh." Pinky said, holding Harry back with one paw.

"My ears aren't as sharp as yours, what is it?" Harry whispered.

Pinky pushed open the door to Perry's lair, being as quiet as possible.

"Who goes there?" He shouted, startling the intruder.

She jumped away from the desk drawer and whirled to face him. She was a platypus, with messy, teal-colored fur, save for a few streaks of neon pink, green and blue. She had on black boots way too big for her, fishnet tights, a dark jacket, a short skirt, fingerless gloves, and a chain-link collar. She had on more clothing than Pinky had ever seen on an animal, even those pampered little Persian cats and poodles.

"Come on, who are you?" Pinky demanded. "And what are you doing in Agent P's lair?"

"I'm an old friend of his." She said. She didn't appear afraid anymore, and was leaning casually against the control panel.

"What's your name?" Pinky asked.

She shrugged.

"How do you not know your own name?"

Another shrug.

"I'm calling security." Pinky said.

"So call them." She responded coldly.

"Pinky, what's going on?" Harry asked, coming into the room. "Who else is in here? Is it Perry? Did he come back?"

Pinky pointed at the platypus, whose expression had changed to sudden terror upon Harry's entering the room.

Harry squinted. "No way… Princess? Is that you?"

The platypus dashed into the elevator without a second look. In moments she was gone.

"That's funny. She used to work here. I knew her. What the heck was she doing down here?" Harry asked.

"I wish I knew." Pinky said.


	5. Chapter 5

"Perfect." Dane said happily. "Heavily scented. I can track him, no problem. I assume it's male. Very masculine scent there."

"Yeah, whatever." Prince said, stuffing the notebook into her jacket pocket. "Let's just get away from this place."

"Nearly get caught?" Dane asked smugly.

"Oh, shut up." She snapped.

Dane had the sense to obey. Prince was cranky, and he knew that it wouldn't be good to irk her any further.

"I hate going down there." She grumbled. "Just hate it." She pulled out the notebook again and turned the pages while walking.

Sketches and doodles filled the pages. Most of them were of two children. Occasionally a bad drawing of some guy came up. There were other careless sketches of things that didn't exist. Prince recognized these as doodles of boredom.

Then she turned to the last page. A very intricate drawing covered the whole page. It looked like it had taken a lot of planning and time. The outlines were so dark it was as though maybe someone had traced over them hundreds of times.

The two kids who had recurred throughout the book were in the drawing, hugging a platypus wearing a fedora. They all looked sad.

Above it, someone had written:_ I am so lonely. But I am not alone_.

Prince slammed into a surface and fell down in pain. Moaning, she pushed herself back up.

Dane was doubled over with laughter. "Watch-where-you-… ha ha ha HA! Oh man! You just fast-walked right into that pole!"

Prince stuck the notebook back in her jacket.

"What was so interesting about that notebook?" Dane asked, suddenly all seriousness. "Information?"

"Just drawings." Prince said matter-of-factly.

Though inside, her chest sank. She'd forgotten about what a skilled artist he was, how good he was with humor, how cute he was when he smiled, how obsessed he got when he talked about the agency…

Going down in that lair had been hard enough.

"Come on." Prince said. She stood up. "Are you going to guide me, or just stand there?"

* * *

"Have some lettuce, Phineas."

"Aw, thanks, Ferb!"

"Ferb, eat your lettuce." Linda said.

They had stopped at a diner for dinner. Perry was sitting in between the boys, eating his salad happily.

Ferb cocked his head innocently. "But I already gave my lettuce to Phineas."

Pajamas hopped onto Phineas's plate and began pecking the lettuce.

Linda stood up to go get more.

"It's okay, mom! Pajamas won't contaminate it." Phineas said.

Ferb took a piece of lettuce that hadn't been in Pajamas's way and nibbled at it.

Having finished his salad, Perry looked around for his next meal. Candace's looked tasty. Perry leaned across the table and began chewing up Candace's grilled cheese.

Candace was ignoring him, talking to Stacy on the phone. "So, I was like, 'No, Jeremy, you're the best'. And he was like, 'No, you are!' and I was like… well, no, not really, but you could tell he was thinking it."

Ferb placed some of his French fries on Perry's plate. It distracted him from Candace's food. He began eating the French fries.

"Okay, bye Stacy!" Candace hung up and stared at her grilled cheese. "Huh. Weird. Looks more clumpy than usual. Ew, Phineas! You shouldn't eat the same lettuce that Pajamas pecked." She took a bite of grilled cheese. "It's disgusting and unsanitary."

Phineas just stared at her with wide eyes.

Perry had no idea what she was talking about, so he continued eating the French fries.

"Eating good, clean food untouched by animal paws, beaks or saliva." Candace said. "That is best."

"Uh…" Phineas said, looking slightly concerned.

Ferb kicked him under the table, his way of telling Phineas to keep quiet or Candace would probably blow a fuse.

Perry finished his French fries and looked up. Ferb patted him on the head.

* * *

"Wake up."

"Pie." Phineas murmured.

Perry poked Phineas in the side. "Shhhh. Come on. Wake up."

Phineas yawned and rolled over to face him. "What time is it?"

"Five in the morning."

"What?"

"Come on. I need to do some stuff in the bathroom, and if a family member wakes up and hears me, and notices everyone else is in bed…"

"Fine." Phineas yawned and shuffled over to the bathroom door. He opened it and let Perry in.

Perry was glad they were staying in a hotel instead of the RV, due to the fact that there wasn't any water. It was a lot roomier.

Once both of them were in the bathroom, Perry closed and locked the door. He dug around in his pocket, drawing out his razor.

"You carry that around with you?" Phineas asked sleepily.

"I usually use an electric, but it makes a lot of noise. You running water in the bathroom makes more sense if someone wakes up."

"It's so cool you get a beard." Phineas said.

"Not really. It's just stubble. And I keep having to shave it off."

"Why?"

"Don't you think your parents would think something weird was going on if I had stubble?"

"When Ferb and I get older, we're going to grow beards." Phineas fantasized.

"Where? Your whole face is your nose."

"I'm gonna have one all the way down to the floor." Phineas giggled. "And then I'm gonna dye the end pink and tie a blue ribbon around it."

"You're overly tired."

Phineas watched Perry with interest as he shaved. "Why do you have a beard, anyway?"

"I don't know. I guess I adapted to human nature or something after I was trained. That may be why I'm living longer and my teeth are falling out slower."

"Oh, that's right. You were still alive at age twenty-five."

"Still half-alive, anyway." Perry said. "From what I've seen, my future self is probably part fossil."

"Do you have to rinse and spit?" Phineas asked.

"Right after I finish, you're going straight to bed." Perry said, wiping excess shaving cream off of his face. "You're obviously still asleep."

He dragged Phineas out of the bathroom and back into bed. Moments later, Phineas was asleep again.

Perry patted down a spot next to him and curled up.

* * *

Perry yanked back on Candace's diary, growling and snorting furiously. He loved tug-of-war.

Candace didn't appear to share his feelings. "Let GO, Perry!"

Perry jerked his head back and tugged the diary free. He tore down to the end of the RV.

Pajamas twittered excitedly and hopped up to a cabinet handle to get a better view of the action.

"GET BACK HERE!" Candace shouted.

Perry lay down on the floor, chewing happily on the diary. It felt good against his teeth.

Candace jumped. Perry soared over her and ran to the front of the RV. Candace landed face-down on the floor.

Perry loved being a pet. It was good to let his animal instincts run free after they'd been cooped up inside at the agency.

"MOM! PERRY STOLE MY DIARY!" Candace said.

"Don't worry, honey." Linda said. "Perry can't read."

"Or so you think." Perry chattered, muffled slightly by the diary, which he had resumed chewing.

Candace snatched it out of his grasp and stormed away. Annoyed, Perry bounded over to the boys to see what they were doing.

Ferb was sitting on the couch with his computer open on his lap. Phineas was interested in a map.

"Whatcha doin'?" Perry asked, hopping up next to Ferb.

"Watching things in slow motion. Look, it's popcorn popping in slow motion."

"Cool!" Perry said, watching as the kernel on Ferb's computer slowly released its contents. "What else?"

"There's a balloon popping in slow motion. And an eagle flapping its wings in slow motion."

"The flittering eagle." Perry said.

"That's awesome, Ferb!" Phineas said, looking up for a moment from his map to gaze at the kernel. He lowered his head again when it had finished.

"Ooh, pimple bursting in slow motion." Ferb said, clicking on one of the related videos.

"No, Ferb." Perry shook his head. "Just no."

"Oh, dude!" Phineas shouted, covering his eyes, even though he hadn't even been looking at the screen. "Dude, dude!"  
"I've never had a pimple." Ferb commented, intrigued by the video. "Does yellowy stuff really come out?"

"Yep." Perry said.

"What does it feel like?"

"Painful."

Phineas was attempting to stuff his head into the couch, still shouting words expressing his disgust.

"Ferb, honey!" Linda called. "Don't torment your brother."

"I'm not." Ferb insisted. "We're just watching things in slow motion."

"Please change the video." Perry said. "I feel like I'm gonna throw up."

Ferb changed the video to "Milk Pouring in Slow Motion".

Phineas sat back up and watched. "That's pretty cool-looking."

Ferb nodded in agreement.

* * *

Perry had thrown up twice on the floor of the RV. Now he sat on the couch and watched with interest as Candace cleaned up his floor art.

"So gross." Candace grumbled.

"Let's make a rest stop." Linda said.

She parked the car by a little stream, which was next to a tiny wooden structure.

As soon as the door to the van opened, Perry jumped out and ran toward the stream. He happily submerged himself in the water and popped back up again.

"Does anyone need to use the restroom?" Linda asked, pointing at the wooden structure.

"Eew! THAT'S what that thing is?" Candace shrieked.

"I do!" Phineas said.

Ferb raised his hand.

"All right then." Linda said.

Phineas went in to the bathroom first. The rest of the family stood and watched Perry as he played happily in the stream.

"He's gonna be all wet." Candace said.

"We have towels." Linda assured her.

Phineas came running out of the bathroom, as excited as ever. "Can I have some hand sanitizer, mom? Oh my gosh, Ferb, it's the coolest bathroom ever! It doesn't have a flush or anything! Instead it's this toilet that is above a GIANT hole in the ground and you can hardly see the bottom but I think the bottom's flat there's a cool breeze that comes up from it…"

Candace covered her ears.

"No way!" Ferb said. He ran to check it out.

Linda gave Phineas hand sanitizer.

"It's so awesome!" Phineas said. "And it doesn't use up any water or anything! It doesn't even smell, believe it or not!"

"Ew ew ew ew!" Candace shrieked. "Stop it, Phineas!"

"He's right." Ferb said, coming out of the bathroom. "It is a nice breeze. And I saw the bottom of the hole, by the way. It is flat. There was some folded-up toilet paper down there, too."

"Do you need to go, Candace?" Linda asked.

"No way!" Candace said, running back into the van.

"Come on, Perry." Phineas said.

Perry hopped out of the stream and trotted alongside his owners. "Was there really no flush on the toilet?"

"Nope!" Phineas said cheerfully.

"Awesome."


	6. Chapter 6

"Here we are." Linda said.

The family walked across the second-floor hall, which was open like a balcony on one side to view the inside pool and plants below. Linda stopped them when they reached two green wooden doors, each next to a curtained window.

She handed Phineas a key. "There's your room. Your father and I are right next door. Candace, I'll give you the key to yours."

Phineas's eyes widened. "We get our OWN room this time?"

"We're here for a while and you've got a lot of things with you." Lawrence said.

"That's all right, isn't it?" Linda asked. "You can stay with us-"

"No, it's perfect!" Phineas said. "Can Perry be in our room?"

"Of course." Linda said.

"Can Pajamas go with me?" Candace asked. She and the bird had become very fond of each other.

Pajamas was singing about soggy toast while sitting on Candace's shoulder.

"Sure." Phineas said.

"So-ggy toast, so-ggy toast, ve-ry ve-ry soggy toast!" Pajamas chirped.

"All right." Linda said. "Get your backpacks in your room and then get the rest of your things up using the dumbwaiter." She went towards her room next door. Candace, Lawrence and Pajamas followed.

Perry followed Phineas and Ferb into the first door.

"Wow." Perry said.

"Yeah." Phineas said, closing the door behind them. "Big bed in here. The other door opens to twin beds."

"So I get one of the twin beds?"

Phineas laughed.

They navigated out of the bedroom. There was a whole kitchen and living room, and a balcony.

"Holy cow. I can't believe your parents let you have all this space." Perry said.

Phineas shrugged. "They know we're not going to blow it up."

"Amazing." Perry said.

They went back out of the room and towards the dumbwaiter.

"I'll get our suitcases from downstairs." Ferb said, heading in an alternate direction. "You guys retrieve them."

"Okay!" Phineas said.

He and Perry sat down by the dumbwaiter and waited.

"That thing's big. You could probably fit a person in there." Perry said.

"They'd get low on air." Phineas said.

An obnoxious whining sound confirmed that Ferb had managed to send up the baggage.

Phineas pulled up on the dumbwaiter door. One half of the door rose and the other sank.

"Cool." Perry said.

Phineas pulled up on the second door, revealing their luggage.

"Help me drag these out." Phineas said. He tugged on a large red suitcase and pulled it out.

Perry grabbed Ferb's duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. Then he picked up Ferb's suitcase and his toybag.

Phineas stared at him.

"Weight training." Perry explained.

Phineas closed the dumbwaiter and pushed the button to send it back down.

* * *

"Interesting." Dane said, stopping to sniff at a patch of dry ground. "It's a slightly old scent, but very heavy."  
"So he WAS here?" Prince asked.

"Yep." Dane said. "But he's not here now."

"Great. Keep following." Prince said.

Dane grinned. "It'll cost you."

"We're in the same stinkin' gang." Prince reminded him, clenching her fists. "I go down, YOU go down with me."

Dane shook his head. "You think I'm doing this for my own sake, or out of the good of my heart? This is your mess. I'm being very kind for helping you to clean it up."  
Prince scowled and slammed five dollars into his outstretched paw.

"That's it?" Dane asked. "I wouldn't even be able to buy a gift card at Slushie Burger with this."

"You get more when you actually FIND him." Prince said.

Dane mumbled something about worker's rights, sniffed the air, and headed off. Prince followed him.

Did she _want_ to find him?

It would be hard to face him again. She hadn't seen him in years. And what was she going to do when she found him…

"You coming, or not?" Dane asked. Prince had stopped walking, deep in thought.

"Sure." She said, kicking at a rock. "Why not."

* * *

"It's nice you guys get to walk around alone." Perry said.

"We're almost twelve." Phineas said. "And besides, we're not alone. We have you."

"I doubt I'm included in adult supervision, but I'm honored all the same."

"Dad works up here looking for antiques." Phineas said. "That's why we haven't seen a lot of him and mom. If we want to explore, we gotta do it on our own."

Perry, Phineas and Ferb walked up a steep road incline and stopped at the top. The incline had become flat. They were at the top of a mountain.

"Wow." Perry said.

"Beautiful view." Ferb said.

Phineas pointed to the left. "That's where our condo thingy is. And down there, if you look really far, you can see the awesome toilet."

"Where's the foot manicure place?" Ferb teased.

Phineas ignored him. "There are a ton of flowers. It's so pretty. Imagine skateboarding down the mountain."

"Sounds deadly." Perry said.

Ferb pointed at his watch.

"We'd better go." Phineas said.

They started back. The cool wind and the smell of the flowers helped to relax Perry. For a moment, he forgot all about the police.

"Those houses all look the same." Ferb said, pointing at five townhouses to their right.

"They're townhouses." Perry explained.

"Does that mean all townhouses are the same?" Phineas asked. "Whoops…"

He had slipped on a rock and started tumbling down the edge of the mountain. Ferb looked to be silently screaming.

Phineas stopped by ramming into one of the townhouses. Perry wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Phinny?" He called, trying not to panic. "Are you okay?"

Shakily, Phineas sat up. At first Perry thought he was crying.

But he was laughing harder than ever. "Did you see that?" He gasped.

"Yes. Phineas flew." Perry said, making his way down to him. "Are you hurt?"

"Maybe, I dunno!" Phineas was still choking on laughter. He was covered in scratches, but otherwise seemed fine.

Ferb started to follow down the mountain.

"Stay up there." Perry warned him. "I don't want both of you smashing into townhouses."

"We wouldn't want to break them." Ferb said.

Perry helped Phineas stand up. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!"

"All right then. Take it easy." Perry led Phineas back up.

* * *

"Let's watch a movie." Ferb proposed.

Perry was trying to clean out Phineas's scratches, but Phineas wasn't making it easy. He kept reaching for things on the coffee table or jerking away.

"Hold still." Perry commanded.

"It stings." Phineas said. He grabbed a little trinket on the table and started fixing it onto his latest invention.

"Maybe I'm doing it wrong." Perry said, sticking a bandage on one of Phineas's cuts. "I don't know. I just figure if you clean it out and wrap it up, it'll eventually heal. Wow, I got a weird sense of déjà vu when I said that."

"Déjà vu happens when you feel like you've seen something before." Ferb said.

"Or heard." Perry said. "There you go. You're good."

"Yaaayy!" Phineas cheered. He jumped up and ran into the bedroom.

A crash was audible.

"Are you going through your awkward growth phase or something?" Perry called. "Are you not aware of where your body is?"

"I'm fine!" Phineas called back. "I just knocked over the lamp when I was trying to get the movie off of the shelf."

"Déjà vu happens when you feel like you've seen something before." Ferb said, sitting down next to Perry.

"Cut it out." Perry said with a smile.

Ferb grinned.

"I found the movie." Phineas said, sticking a DVD into the player on the television. He sat down on the couch next to Perry. "It's the best. It's called 'Cowboy Dylan'."

The commercials began to play.

"He's back." Said the announcer. "And he's ready to escape from prison AGAIN."

The screen showed a handsome man running from police.

"That's Prison Escape Twenty-Two." Ferb said.

"Dude, how many times is that guy gonna escape and get locked up again?" Phineas asked.

The handsome man began to jump over electrical surges. The police chased after him and accidentally stepped on the electricity wires. Recovering quickly, they continued to pursue him.

"If they had really been electrocuted, they wouldn't have gotten up so quick." Perry said. "They'd be tingling with pain all over."

"How do you know?" Phineas gave Perry a concerned look.

"They just… common knowledge." Perry said.

The handsome man grabbed a pole from the policeman behind him and poked him with it. The policeman fell down.

"Watch Kenny Kennington escape from jail and get caught for the twenty-second time in the all-new movie, Prison Escape Twenty-Two!"

"Strange but odd." Ferb said.

The commercial changed. A video of a platypus appeared on the screen. It sat there.

"A documentary about the wonderful platypus." The announcer said. "Platypuses are very docile creatures. Let's see what this one does."

The platypus inhaled and exhaled.

"Simply fascinating!" The announcer said. "This platypus and many others are featured in the documentary, 'Platypus Life'."

"Is that interesting to you, Perry?" Phineas asked.

"Let's say that from your point of view, it would be like watching a human sit, stare straight ahead, and breathe."

"Except the platypus was staring sideways." Phineas said.

"That's straight ahead for a platypus." Perry said. "You gotta watch on all sides for predators, like badgers and snakes."

"How did you learn to stare straight ahead?"

"At first it was kind of like being cross-eyed." Perry said. "But now it's normal for me to focus on objects." He stretched out on the couch and leaned against Ferb.

"Do any other platypuses find it strange?" Phineas asked.

"Untrained ones? Yeah. My mom's always worried I'm going to go blind. She says 'Put your eyes back or they will make everything look fluffy'."

Phineas laughed.

"And now, our feature presentation!" Said the TV. "Cowboy Dylan!"

"Finally." Perry said. "Let's hope the movie's longer than the previews were."

"Let's go to the park tomorrow." Phineas said. "It's really fun. The swings face the edge of a mountain."

"Just don't fall off again." Perry said. "You're lucky that townhouse was there this time."

"You didn't hurt the townhouse when you crashed into it, did you?" Ferb asked.

Phineas shot him a look.


	7. Chapter 7

"Mom, can we go on the lift?"

Perry sat in the kitchen chair, obsessively licking his front paws. He could tell the combined snorting and slurping noise was annoying Linda, but what was he supposed to do? Leave them dirty?

"The lift?" Linda repeated, with an annoyed glance at Perry. She turned to face Phineas. "Honey, I'm sorry. Your father and I already have plans for today. And I don't know if Candace would be willing to take you."

"That's all right." Phineas said. "I was just wondering if we could go."

"Alone?" Linda asked.

"Yeah." Phineas said. "With Ferb."

Linda looked from Phineas to Ferb. Then she sighed. "I guess it will be okay. Look after each other. Take your phones."

"Yay!" Phineas said.

"Honey, what happened to you?" Linda asked, noticing Phineas's bandages.

"He crashed into a townhouse." Ferb said.

Linda gave him an odd look, and then went to get their breakfast off the stove.

"Perry, you're gonna get platypus slobber all over the chair." Phineas said.

Perry ignored him and started on the bottom of his left paw.

"I've seen him do that before." Ferb said. "His back feet are next."

"It'd stink to have to lick yourself." Phineas said.

"Cats lick themselves even more than platypuses." Ferb said. "They lick their feet, their tummies, their tails, and even…"

Perry climbed up on the table and sat down in front of Phineas. "So, goin' on the lift, huh?"

"We'll take you with us." Phineas whispered.

Ferb nodded.

* * *

"So high." Perry said.

The ski lift was merrily rising into the mountains. They passed a pole with a sign on it.

"PRESTO THE POLAR BEAR SAYS SAFETY FIRST. STAY ALL THE WAY BACK IN YOUR SEAT."

Ferb leaned forward over the bar and spread out his arms. "This way feels like flying."

"But Presto says-" Phineas said.

"It's not Presto's season." Ferb said.

"Imagine if the lift stopped right directly in between the poles." Perry said.

"If it stopped next to a pole, we could escape." Ferb said, pointing at a ladder on one of the poles.

They were silent for a while, watching the flowers and grass pass underneath them.

"Do either of you have dreams that like… come true later? I don't mean those daytime dreams. Night ones." Phineas said.

"I get snippets of the future sometimes." Perry said. "Why?"

"I've been having a recurring dream." Phineas said. "And I don't know how to stop it from happening."

"What was your dream?" Perry asked.

Phineas didn't respond.

"I had a dream last night about a fat chipmunk." Ferb said. "It ate a picnic table."

Phineas laughed. Then he looked down at his shoes. "What if one of my sneakers fell off?"

"You'd have one shoe off and one shoe on." Ferb said.

* * *

Phineas and Ferb had been chatting for hours on the couch, drawing up some plans. Perry had no idea what they were planning on making, but it seemed important to them. He managed to catch a few of their words, but their whispers were harder to make out.

"If it's thick, it'll-"

"Yes, but then they'll know he has it on and just-"

"Okay, so make it absorptive. It can swallow it from appearance. Then after it absorbs something it'll make a red… I don't know."

"I know what it's supposed to look like."

"Okay. Wait, what about-" Phineas started whispering.

Perry sat on the coffee table and stared at them blankly. They hadn't noticed him since they'd sat down.

"Red on the lowest surface, that's all that will be visible. After." Ferb said.

"What about smoke?" Phineas asked. "Can it make smoke?"

"You watch too many western movies." Ferb said. "But we might not be able to do smoke. Unless it… unless it can release a kind of vapor."

"Whatcha doin'?" Perry asked.

The boys looked up, startled.

"Nothing." They both said.

"So I'm not allowed to know?" Perry asked.

"We're making you a jacket." Phineas said.

"With red on it and smoke?"

"No, not exactly." Ferb said.

"Why do I need a jacket when I have fur?"

"Fur isn't absorptive." Ferb said.

Phineas kicked him.

"Gosh, Phineas. He was talking." Perry said. "How could you think he was dead?"

"I'll tell you what happens." Ferb said, completely ignoring Perry and turning back to Phineas. "Have you ever seen the movie 'Help Me, I Don't Need You'?"

"No, it's Z-rated. And banned in over seventy planets, including Meap's."

"I'll tell you what it looks like. Ketchup. Lots and lots of ketchup." Ferb said.

Phineas cringed.

"A hole and ketchup." Ferb said, drawing something on the blueprint. He blinked once and turned to Phineas. "There's one thing, though." He started whispering.

Tired of being ignored, Perry jumped down from the table and went over to the fridge.

"Perry, do you know any cats?" Phineas suddenly asked.

Perry gave him an odd look. "Yes, tons. Why?"

"Do you know an orange cat with black stripes and a crooked whisker with a tooth missing?"

Perry thought. "Well, no. I don't think I do. It doesn't ring a bell."

A knock sounded on the door, and three letters slid underneath. Two were addressed to Ferb, one to Perry.

Perry shook his head. "Hey Ferbsy, you got some fan mail."

Ferb came running over. He tore open the first envelope, scanned it, and then went on to the second.

"Who's it from?" Phineas asked.

"The first one is from my uncle. The second one's from my cousin."

"Which one?"

"The second one."

"No, I mean which cousin." Phineas said.

"Beckham." Ferb said.

"Oooohhhhh." Phineas said. "Who's your letter from, Perry?"

"No idea." Perry opened it and read.

_So, Perry,_

_I still have no idea where we stand, rivals or friends, but I don't actually care. My birthday's coming up, and I am having a party up in Colorado because my sister lives there. Convenient, right? Devon told me you were up there. I enclosed the date and directions. So, I'll be seeing you there, right? I know you're on the run and all, but it'd mean a lot if you came. And if you don't know what to get me, don't worry. I take donations for the Save The Pandas foundation. Thanks! Peter._

Perry put the letter back in the envelope. "Peter's having a birthday party."

"Cool!" Phineas said. "Perry, you're gonna love your new jacket we're making you. It's all soft and fuzzy and warm…"

"So, basically it does everything my fur does?" Perry asked.

"And we're gonna make it invisible." Phineas said. "So when it's cold out, you won't look all bulky and covered in coat-mess."

"I hate when it's cold out." Perry grumbled. "The vet told your mom she has to keep my feet warm, so she bought these winter booties for when it snows again."

"Aww!" Phineas said. "I bet those will be cute!"

"They're undignified." Perry said. "They have little polar bears on them."

Phineas looked as though he couldn't imagine anything cuter than polar bear booties. Ferb just looked thoughtful.

Loud barking sounded from outside of the door. "LEAVE! LEAVE! LEAVE! LEAVE!"

"Aw, Bark." Phineas sighed. "He followed Ferb all the way over here?"

Bark was a dog they had encountered when they went rafting that day. Linda and Lawrence had ridden in one raft, Perry and Phineas in another, Candace in her own and Ferb in his own. Bark lived in a little house by the edge of the river. When Phineas and Perry drifted past his territory, Bark had, well, barked. Perry had translated for Phineas: "He's telling us to get out of his territory."

"All in one tone of bark?"

"Well, in dog, what he's saying actually means 'leave', but animals have very limited speech, so you kind of have to elaborate their words in order to translate."

When Ferb had passed by, Bark had jumped into the river, barking, and swam over to Ferb. He jumped on Ferb's raft and barked directly next to him for the whole length of the river. Ferb had then decided to call the dog Bark.

"Tell him to go home." Phineas said, holding his hands over his ears. "His owners must be worried."

Perry went over to the door. "You need to go home." He said to it.

"Leave!" Shouted Bark.

"What if someone else is in your territory?" Perry asked him.

Bark abruptly stopped barking.

"You'd better go guard it." Perry said.

Perry heard the dog patter away.

"He likes you, Ferb." Perry teased.

Ferb smiled a little.

Perry looked inside the envelope again.

"What are you looking for?" Ferb asked.

"I guess it's hopeless." Perry said grouchily. "I wrote to my father weeks ago and he still hasn't responded. I asked my brother if he'd heard from him lately and he said, 'Oh, sure! He wrote back and forth with me like five times!' And one of the AGENTS even wrote to him, asking if he washed a lollipop for long enough, would it melt? He responded to THAT!"

"What did you write him?" Phineas asked.

"I just told him I missed him, asked what was up, you know."

"Maybe the letter got lost." Phineas said.

"Ugh, I don't know. I've checked the post offices. They said it got there. It just makes me mad. I took the time to write that stupid letter and stick it in the mailbox with a stamp and everything and he just decides not to write back."

"Maybe he's busy."

"Sure, so busy that he can write Rocky a response on LOLLIPOP MELTING!" Perry flopped down on the couch and stared crankily up at the ceiling. "At first I was upset he didn't write back. Now I'm just mad. I take the time to…"

Realizing he was repeating himself, he stopped talking.

Phineas gave him a hug.

"Go away." Perry mumbled, although he didn't mean it at all.

"I bet he'll write back." Phineas said.

"And I was worried in the first place. Does he remember how to mail letters? Will I be bothering him if I send him one? Will he write back? NO, Perry. The answer to that is NO."

"Don't worry about it." Phineas said.

"Right. I've got bigger things to worry about."

"We can go to Dangerous Park." Ferb said.

"I love dangerous park!" Phineas said. "I love how the swings hang out over the mountain…"

"You've told me." Perry said. "And we've gone."

"Goodness, you're crabby." Phineas said.

"Fine." Perry said. "Let's go to the park. Maybe I just need some air."

"Air occupies all space, so technically you have some." Ferb said.

"Fresh air." Perry corrected.

"He means air we haven't all breathed in the same vicinity, Ferb." Phineas said.

Ferb shrugged. "How was I supposed to know?"


	8. Chapter 8

"I quit." Dane said.

Prince looked at him. It was the first thing he'd said for miles. "What?"

"I quit. I'm sick of living with Rex and you and Mike, watching you all fight. It's like being in a family that hates each other and everyone else. And if we don't treat each other like dirt, we don't take each other seriously."

"You make us sound so negative." Prince said, reaching into her pocket.

"You're not going to kill him." Dane said.

Prince froze. She very slowly turned to fully face him and narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"The knower. You're not going to kill him. You never planned to."

"What the-"

"I'm an empath." Dane said, as though that explained everything. "I can tell these things. I remember when you'd come back to the apartment in a great mood. I remember when you started wearing that penguin charm. And I saw you two in an alley once."

"Did you?" Prince grumbled. Dane only grinned.

"You really loved him." Dane said. "You still do. Now go. Make up with him. That's what you wanted to do all along."

Prince continued to glare at him.

"I promise I won't tell Rex if you show some kind of emotion that ordinary animals use." Dane said sarcastically. "Goodbye, Princess. Take care of yourself."

He turned and started back the way he came. Prince didn't know what she was supposed to feel.

Confused, she made her way down the sidewalk.

* * *

"You came!" Peter said happily. He gave Perry a hug. "You're famed all around the agency for hating parties, but you came."

"Sure, whatever." Perry said. He wasn't exactly pleased with Peter's choice of place for celebration. The restaurant was loud, dimly lit with only one open window, and it had a stinging smell that made Perry feel tired. It was pretty much everything Perry hated, all in one building.

"Come see everybody." Peter said, dragging Perry over to a table. Perry sat down in a chair right next to the window. It didn't help much.

"Perry!" Pinky said, giving him a hug. "We miss you so much down at the agency!"

"I'm so sorry about that night, it was all my fault…" Devon said on top of him.

Perry shook his head, the extra noise making him dizzy. "It's fine, Dev. Don't worry about it."

A panda wearing tons of bracelets and necklaces joined their table. "Oh, another guest!" She said.

Peter nodded. "Perry, this is my sister, Prissy the panda. Prissy, this is Perry."

"I'm not a priss or anything, I just hate the name Priscilla." Prissy said, shaking Perry's paw. "So you're Doof's nemesis, then? Peter told me all about that…"

Perry frowned.

"Um…" Peter whispered something to his sister.

"That's a touchy subject between you two?" Prissy said loudly, although she probably hadn't meant to. "Oh gosh. I'm so sorry."

A kangaroo hopped onto their table and used it as a launch point for his next destination.

"Nice… place." Perry commented, trying to get as much air as he could out of the window.

"Best animal-run place in Colorado." Peter said.

"I'd hate to see the worst." Perry said under his breath.

A rhino came over to the table. "What are you all having to drink?"

"Hot chocolate." Perry said. He looked back out the window.

Peter gave him a confused glance.

"I know what he asked." Perry snapped. "I ordered hot chocolate."

When the rhino left, Perry took another breath of air from the window and turned back to Peter. "Sorry I yelled at you."

"Not your kind of place, huh?" Peter asked.

Perry shook his head.

"He lasted five minutes before he lost his temper." Pinky said. "That's pretty good, for him."

Perry got up. "I'll be in the bathroom."

"Don't bail on us now!" Prissy said, who Perry decided had a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. "The cake's gonna come soon!"

Perry pretended not to hear her. He pushed through a crowd of talking animals and locked himself in the bathroom.

There was no window, but the bathroom was brightly lit and had a better smell than the restaurant.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Occupied." Perry shouted.

"Perry, you can't hide in there the whole time." Pinky said.

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing, someone might need to use the bathroom."

"They can just cross the street and use some other store's."

"Perry, come out."

"No."

"It'd mean a lot to Peter."

"Peter doesn't care whether I'm there or not."

"He does and you know it. You're acting childish."

"I'm tired, Pinky. It's loud out there. And it smells."

"Perry, someone might need to use the bathroom."

"Pinky, if you need to go, you can just tell me."

Silence.

"…You'll let me in?"

"Yes." Perry opened the door, stepped out, and let Pinky inside.

He made his way back to Peter's table.

Darren the duck smiled at him. "For a second, I thought you were hiding in the bathroom instead of actually using it."

"Huh." Perry said. He stirred his hot chocolate moodily.

Prissy was talking about her six ex-boyfriends to anyone who would listen, which was really only Rocky the raccoon. Peter was trying to get Devon to donate to Save The Pandas.

Even though Perry wasn't in the mood to talk, he was annoyed that everyone was chatting around him. He stared out the window.

Perry wondered why Phineas had made him an invisible jacket. He would have preferred a visible one he could really hide under. He pulled up his hood, though knowing it wouldn't have any effect.

Pinky returned and sat down next to him.

"Giant pandas everywhere are losing their homes." Peter said to Devon.

"Don't pandas only live in China?" Darren asked.

"There are zoos, Darren." Peter said. "But what panda would want to live THERE?"

"Fine, fine!" Devon said, digging around in his pocket and handing Peter eleven cents. "That's all I have on me right now! Stop making me feel guilty!"

"The pandas thank you." Peter said, pocketing the donation.

"So, Peter, how does it feel being one year older?" Carrie the cat asked.

"Great!" Peter said.

Carrie was silent. Perry could tell she had forgotten how old Peter was and was trying to figure out how to get him to tell her.

"It's a great age, isn't it?" Carrie said.

"Yeah!" Peter said.

Carrie looked at her drink.

"He's a year older than me." Perry whispered to her, trying to help her out.

"That's a great age." Carrie said weakly.

Perry sighed. He should have known Carrie wouldn't have remembered how old he was, either.

"Peter's told me so much about you." Prissy said to Perry. "Is it true that you both rescued Doofenshmirtz from a different planet together? And that you destroyed the freezinator together?"

"Yeah, I guess." Perry looked back out the window, trying to make it clear he wasn't interested in conversation.

"We were both born in Seattle." Prissy said. "But Peter went down to Danville to join the agency. After a while he came back to Seattle and met Doofenshmirtz. How those two hated each other! You had never seen worse enemies."

Perry tried to make a picture with the whipped cream in his hot chocolate. It kind of looked like a horse.

"So he went down to Danville to fight him. Then, of course, Peter came back to Seattle after you defeated the freezinator. But he keeps going back and forth. I got sick of it and moved to Colorado, so now he knows what it feels like to have to travel to see his sibling. Do you have any siblings?"

"Six." Perry said. "Only two are trained."

"Nice. Are your parents still alive?"

"Would you like me to write you an autobiography?" Perry retorted.

"Oh." Prissy put her paws to her mouth. "Was I being nosy? Peter's always telling me I pry too much. I don't mean to. I'm sorry."

"That's fine. I don't care." Perry said. He took a sip of his hot chocolate.

"We don't know where our parents are." Prissy said matter-of-factly. "All we have is each other. Isn't that right, Pete?"

"Huh?" Peter had been in conversation with Devon and was staring at Prissy as though he had no idea who she was. "Oh. Yeah. Right. That's right, whatever it was you just said."

He turned back to Devon and continued his talk about the endangerment of the pandas.

"That's too bad." Perry said. He took another breath of air from the window.

"I heard about the fireworks." Prissy said.

"I'm not surprised." Perry said.

"Do you know who did it?" Prissy asked.

"An animal gang."

"Oh my."

"Yeah. I hope my name's cleared soon. Every time I hear a siren, I freak."

"Peter was running from the cops once. He had dismantled an alarm system unknowingly. But he got off scot-free because they thought he was just a mindless panda."

"Lucky him." Perry mumbled.

The rhino brought over a cake and placed it in the middle of the table.

"Happy birthday, Peter." Darren said.

Peter cut a slice and handed it to Prissy.

"What flavor?" Devon asked.

"Bamboo!" Peter said happily. "Who else wants some?"

Everyone was silent.

"I kid. We also have a chocolate cake coming." Peter said, digging in.

"Dogs can't eat chocolate." Devon said.

"Well, who pigged out on Valentine's day, then?" Darren asked. "The creature who ate my chocolate cupid sure looked a heck of a lot like you."

"I said I can't eat chocolate. I never said I won't."

"That doesn't make any sense." Darren said.

"Maybe the smell of this place is getting to him." Perry said. He was starting to feel very lightheaded. "I might need to go outside for a bit."

A basenji entered the restaurant and sat down at a table, looking slightly anxious. Peter brightened.

"Daniel! Buddy! It's me, Peter! Where've ya been all these years?"

The basenji looked up and smiled, but his eyes still held worry. "Peter? Is that you?"

"Come on over here!" Peter said. He got up and brought the basenji over to the table. "Guys, this is Dane! He and I go way back. I haven't seen him in a long time."

"Hello." Dane said.

"You look pretty bad." Peter said. "Are you okay?"

Dane nodded. "I got mixed up in some bad things, that's all. I think I'm out of it now." He sniffed the air. Perry wondered if he could smell anything underneath the restaurant's stench.

"These are Pinky, Darren, Bernie, Carrie, Perry, you know Prissy, and Devon!" Peter said.

Dane looked at Perry, and his eyes widened. He looked like he wanted to leave. Perry would have been right behind him.

"Go on, sit." Peter said. He pushed up a chair for Dane, and Dane sat.

Everyone resumed talking. When the second cake came, all the bamboo-haters got a slice.

Dane kept staring at Perry. When Perry met his eye, Dane mouthed something.

Perry turned his head to the side, indicating he didn't understand.

"She's been tracked." Dane whispered. Looking nervously at the others, who hadn't heard him, he dug into his cake and ignored Perry for the rest of the evening.


	9. Chapter 9

"Happy birthday, Peter." Perry said, leaving the restaurant and gasping in fresh air.

"Thanks for lasting through the whole party." Peter said.

Perry started for the condo. It was freezing outside.

He pulled his invisible jacket more tightly around him. It was comfortably warm and worked well against the night air.

An almost transparent hue of dark red appeared where his fingers were clutching it. Perry smiled. Phineas obviously hadn't been able to make the jacket completely invisible.

* * *

"Ferb and I went to the park while you were gone last night." Phineas said. "We took pictures."  
Perry browsed through the photos. "These are all pictures of people's butts."

Ferb snickered.

"Yeah." Phineas said, slightly annoyed. "I trusted FERB with the camera."

"He's getting to that age." Perry said. "The butt phase. Monogram asked me to take pictures at Wanda Acronym's wedding a couple years ago. He regretted it. Now Wanda has some very interesting wedding photos."

"Why would anyone want to take pictures of butts?" Phineas asked.

"Because it's FUNNY!" Ferb said.

"Thanks for the jacket, by the way." Perry said. "It kept me warm last night."

"Soft, isn't it?" Phineas smiled.

"Yep."

"How did your party go?"

"Okay, I guess." Perry said.

* * *

"If I jumped off the swing, I would land on the mountains." Phineas said.

"Or in that giant chasm." Ferb said.

Perry, Phineas and Ferb were swinging, facing the mountains and flowers. Behind them was the park.

"It's a gorgeous view." Perry said. "It's like flying."

"I wish I could fly." Phineas said sadly.

"I need water." Ferb said.

"There's a water fountain down by the restrooms." Perry said.

"I don't want to stop swinging."

"Fine." Perry growled. He skidded to a stop and got off the swing. "I'll get you a cup."

He walked down a flower-lined path to the bathrooms.

There was indeed a water fountain, but no cups. Perry reached into his fur pocket and grabbed a sippy cup he carried around with him. He'd had it since he was a year old. Ferb could take off the lid to use it.

He started filling up the cup.

"Weasel."

Perry whirled around and threw a punch at the speaker, who landed flat on her back, holding her hand over her face.

He took a step back.

"Sorry. I forgot you hate being snuck up on." She moaned, pushing herself back up. She kept a hand over her right eye.

"What are you doing here?" Perry asked coldly, feeling the heat rising to his face.

Prince lowered her hand. Her eye was already beginning to bruise. "I would have asked you first. Colorado's pretty far from home for you, huh?" She gave a faint smile.

Perry was feeling both angry and upset. He turned back to the water fountain and filled the cup.

"I was looking for you." Prince said finally. She put a hand on Perry's shoulder. He jerked it off. "Don't you remember me, Weasel?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact." Perry said. He screwed the lid back on the cup and turned to face her. "You're Prince. And I'm Perry. Not Weasel."

She gave him a skeptical look. "You used to let me call you that."

"Get out of my way. I need to get back." Perry said.

Prince looked aggravated. She stayed where she was.

"Look." Perry said, beginning to lose his patience. "You can either tell me what you want, or I can give you another punch in the face."

"You wouldn't hit a girl." Prince taunted.

"Try me."

Prince huffed. "Why are you acting like nothing happened between us?"

"Why are YOU acting like nothing happened between us?!" Perry snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, you broke up with me years ago!"

"Biggest mistake I ever made." Prince said softly.

"Sure. You've blown up a building with fireworks, defaced private properties, and 'silenced' your enemies. And you say blowing it off with me, which you intended to do all along, was your biggest mistake."

"Perry…"

"Please. You used me to get away from the police."

"Shut up!" Prince slapped him across the face. Then, in a softer tone, she said, "I really did love you."

Her eyes drifted down to her chain collar. Perry followed her gaze.

A tiny penguin charm was hooked onto it.

"So you put it back on." He said neutrally.

"Don't you think that means something?" She asked him.

"Yeah. It means you like penguins. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

He tried to step around her. She slid back into his way.

"You used to love me, too." Prince said.

"I've gotten over it." Perry shoved her to the ground and started back to the park.

He heard a familiar click.

"Freeze." Prince growled.

He slowly turned around. Prince was pointing a gun at him.

"Killing me. A great way to prove your love." Perry said sarcastically.

"I was _supposed_ to come here to kill you." Prince said, her hand shaking a little as she stood up. "But I didn't. I wanted to see you again. I missed you."

"Of course you did." Perry kept his eye on her gun, prepared to dodge. He knew Prince really would shoot at him if he provoked her.

Prince narrowed her eyes. "You don't believe me."

"You broke it off, not me." Perry said.

A bus pulled up.

"Move." Prince said. "Get on. Let's take a ride."

Not wanting to argue with her while at gunpoint, Perry obeyed.

"We'll come back when it circles around." Prince muttered.

* * *

Prince and Perry stood in the bus, since all of the seats had been taken. Prince had one arm around a bus pole, the other arm concealing her gun, which she still had aimed at Perry.

She couldn't believe he had changed so much. So distant, so cold. It seemed he was trying to freeze whatever he looked at.

But what had caused the change? Certainly not her. There was something sad about him, like a tragic accident had happened recently… or long ago.

"I just want you to understand." She hissed as the bus pulled away and rumbled merrily over uneven ground.

She had no idea if he was even listening to her anymore. He was acting as if she wasn't there, staring sideways out the window at the trees and grass.

"I did love you, Perry. I was at my best with you. You made me so happy. You were funny, artistic, kind of cute…"  
She looked quickly up at him and blushed. He didn't seem fazed, or even like he'd heard, still gazing at the scenery.

"...No. Very cute. But I felt like I wasn't good enough for you. Whenever I stole, you were disappointed in me. I was worried I would ruin you."

Now Perry looked at her, offended. "I would never have done any illegal acts. Not even for you, back when I was crazy about you. Why you would think that is beyond me."  
Prince smiled. His anger was something she could finally understand.

"Maybe you stole the little penguin charm to impress me." She teased.

"I MADE that!" Perry shouted.

Prince looked down at the charm. She had never known that Perry had made it himself.

She looked back up. "I broke up with you because I was afraid I would get you in trouble. We nearly got caught with that cake."

"YOU nearly got caught with that cake. I told you not to steal it." Perry said.

"I had no money. Couldn't let you think I'd forgotten your birthday. Besides, did it taste any worse stolen?"

"It was good." Perry admitted. "But I would have preferred you pay for it."

"The best gifts don't cost money." Prince smirked. "Besides, I was worried the gang would find out. They would have killed you. They don't take well to good guys ratting them out."

Perry stared straight into her eyes. "I never ratted you out. I still haven't. I know enough to tell the police about that little factory incident. To get me off the hook. But I didn't say a word."

Prince squinted. "You? You're the one who got blamed for the explosion? I knew you messed around in the factory beforehand, but..."

"Police nearly got me." Perry looked back out the window. "Monogram's still trying to sort it out."  
"Now you know how it feels to run from the law." Prince said smugly.

"I don't commit crimes. I'm not supposed to have to run from the law." Perry said.

He seemed very far away all of a sudden.

"How have you been?" Prince asked. It sounded stupid, but she wanted to know.  
"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Sure."

"Something must have happened. People don't change by just sitting around all the time."

"I'm not any different than I was before." Perry said. "I just know more people now."

"I guess I should return this." Prince said. She handed him his sketchbook.

Perry glanced at it briefly and pocketed it. "Steal anything else when you broke into my lair?"

"No. Give you my word."

"That's not very promising."

"They're beautiful, by the way." Prince said.

Perry looked confused.

"Your drawings."

Perry snorted. "Well, they're not stick figures, at least."

"They're really incredible."  
"You don't get out much."

Prince watched the window for a while. Mountains, hills and valleys zoomed by.

"Met anyone else?" She asked quietly.

Perry inspected his front paw. "Lots of animals. Including a basenji named Dane."

Prince was taken aback by this, but quickly recovered. "I meant… you know…"

"I have four pups, if that's what you're asking." Perry said, not taking his eyes off his hand. "Two are twins. But I'm not seeing anyone. I don't get attached."

"Why not?" Prince asked.

He gave her such a cold glare it nearly stung her eyes.

"Because I just wind up getting hurt." He responded.

They rode in silence. The bus pulled up to the stop second to the park.

"I'm really sorry." Prince said, pocketing her gun. "I… I really wish you would give me a second chance."

"You're too late." Perry said. "I don't have any feelings for you anymore. But I still want you to stay out of trouble. You're a friend, Prince. You haven't been an enemy since we started dating."

That made Prince feel a little better.

The bus pulled up to the park stop. Perry got out.

Prince followed him.

"Thanks for listening to me, at least." Prince said.

Perry turned to face her. "You're not broken, are you?"

"Quite the opposite. I feel like a weight has lifted."

A loud gunshot rang out. Both Prince and Perry jumped.

"What the!" Prince shouted.

Perry's eyes suddenly widened as though he had just remembered something.

"What?" Prince asked him. "What is it?"

Perry fell to the ground, motionless.

Prince looked up.

Behind Perry stood Rex, blowing the smoke away from the mouth of his gun.

"Hello, Prince." He said.


	10. Chapter 10

"What… why are you here?" Prince demanded.

"I decided to tag along in case you couldn't do your job." Rex said, sticking his gun back in his belt. "Good thing I did."

Prince looked down at Perry. She couldn't react in front of Rex.

"Is that something you do, usually?" Rex asked. "Have little chats with the knowers? Tell them all our secrets?"

"He wouldn't have ratted us out." Prince said, in spite of herself.

"_Sure_ he wouldn't have." Rex rolled his eyes.

"I trust him." Prince growled.

"You _trusted_ him." Rex said, smiling cruelly.

Prince looked at Perry again. It couldn't be. Her eyes searched him, hoping desperately for some flicker of life.

"Shot him in the back of the neck." Rex said flatly. "Couldn't have survived."

Prince shook her head. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.

"Let me tell you a story, Prince." Rex said, staring into her eyes. "Long ago, when the Silencers were a group of many animals, not just a few, they were led by a creature named Vendetta. He was a tough, but fair, leader, and he warned the members of the Silencers not to converse with outsiders. The outsiders would only lead them astray."

He paused, watching Prince carefully. Prince put on a bored expression and pretended to inspect her claws.

"Vendetta was mostly worried about his son, Reckless. He had named him so because Reckless was careless in his actions and hardly ever listened to him. Vendetta didn't get along very well with his son, but he worried for him all the same. They were bound together as a family. Anyway, one day Reckless cast away his father's warning and fell in love with a beautiful girl. He put all his faith in her."  
Perry was still limp on the ground. Prince's heart sank.

"She betrayed him." Rex said. "Nearly all the Silencers were killed, arrested. Vendetta did not survive. Only three Silencers got away safely." He paused again and took a deep breath. "Don't trust others, Prince. They're all traitors. Don't be reckless."

Prince stared at him hard. "I'm sorry you made a bad choice in girls, Rex. But Perry's a good creature. You really do make poor decisions."

"I do." Rex said. "I should have never decided to allow you in our gang."

"Enjoy being one of the two remaining Silencers." Prince said coldly. "Dane is gone."

"And you? I don't remember banning you."

"I will no longer keep you company." Prince said. She moved over to Perry and shook him carefully.

"That can't be helped, then." Rex said. He turned to leave.

"I'm sorry about your dad." Prince said. "That must have sucked."

"We weren't very close." Rex said.

He was gone in a moment.

"Come on, Perry." Prince whispered. "Come on. Please. Please. Don't die."

Two boys walked up to them. One had fiery red hair, the other one, neon green. Prince made a mental note to get a bottle of that color dye.

"Oh, there you are, Perry." The redhead said.

Perry stood up very slowly, pulled at the air around him, and as if taking off a jacket, removed the wound from his body.

He grinned. "Hey, boys. Sorry it took so long to get you that water."

* * *

Prince stared at him.  
"That's what the jacket was for." Perry said, holding his jacket up, staring at the realistic gunshot wound near the hood. "Poor Phineas. Good thing I was wearing it."

"What is… how is…" Prince stammered.

Perry suddenly realized how it looked to Prince: A floating bullet wound in the air.

"Oh. Uh, this is an invisible jacket. Feel."

Prince tentatively poked the air above the bullet hole. Her eyes grew wide.

"My host boys, those two right there, made it." Perry explained, still marveling at it. "Now I know how it works. It absorbed the bullet and created a disgusting fake blood-coated hole around it to look real. They didn't want my attacker to know I was wearing a protective jacket, so they made it invisible… Smart kids…"

Phineas smiled. "I'm glad it worked. Ferb put some ketchup in the lining. And dark red food coloring. And water."

"Tomato ketchup." Ferb said. "Not ketchup ketchup."

Prince looked terrified. "You… I thought you were done for!"

"Sorry I worried you. I couldn't act alive in front of that trigger-happy alley cat." Perry placed the jacket over his arm and tugged the bullet out. The red wound faded back to invisibility. "Goodness, that looked real. Ferb really needs to stop watching those violent movies. At least it saved my neck."

"I had no idea he followed me here." Prince said. "Usually he leaves me alone."

"Gang critters are unpredictable." Perry said.

"How did you know he'd shot you?" Prince asked. "How did you react like that?"  
"Training. Heard the shot and realized it was near, so I fell. Usually, if you play dead, people leave you alone." He handed the sippy cup from his pocket to Ferb. Ferb drank happily.

"I am so…" Prince swallowed. "Sorry. I shouldn't have tracked you."

"How were you supposed to know you were being followed yourself?"

"I… I just… I…" For the first time since Perry had met her, Prince was at a loss for words.

Perry smiled. "I forgive you. How's that?"

"I don't deserve that." Prince growled.

Pajamas appeared, flittering cheerfully above their heads.

"My friend, the red balloon!" He sang happily.

"Look at you, Pajamas. You're finally flying again." Perry smiled.

"We packed ice-cream sandwiches in Ferb's backpack." Phineas said.

"The real kind, not the kind mom makes." Ferb said.

"How many?" Perry asked.

"Um, I dunno. Twenty? We can eat them on the swings."

Perry followed his owners. He looked at Prince and jerked his head toward them. "Come on."

"Picnic with all the little children." Prince said sarcastically. "Exciting."

"All the little chil-dren, all the little chil-dren!" Pajamas sang.

* * *

They all sat by the swingset, save for Pajamas who sat on top of it and chirped about used shoes.

"We should teach Pajamas a song." Perry said. "So he can sing something besides his usual strange compositions."

Phineas began to sing. "Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh, tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff…"

Ferb caught on. "That's a song we heard that time we watched Disney. Deep in the hundred-acre wood, where Christopher Robin plays…"

Pajamas watched them with interest, head cocked to the side to get a better idea of the lyrics.

"I don't remember… blah blah… neighborhood…" Phineas feebly supplied.

"Ant motht oth all wurny the purr." Perry said through his ice cream sandwich. He had meant to say "And most of all Winnie the Pooh" but doubted Phineas and Ferb were aware.

Phineas, however, started laughing. "Wurny the Purr!"

"Wurny the purr, wurny the purr, turby little curby all sturfed with flurf, Wurny the purr, wurny the purr, surly wurly nurly ald bar!" Ferb sang.

Perry started laughing. Prince and Pajamas looked on in confusion.

With renewed gusto, Perry and the boys began to sing their new version of "Winnie the Pooh". Pajamas had picked up on a little bit and was singing mixed parts of "Wurny the Purr" along with them.

"Turby little curby all sturfed with flurf…" Sang Pajamas when they had gotten back to the part about the hundred acre wood.

"Not that the original song isn't amazing." Perry told Pajamas. "You should sing that, too."

* * *

_"Mommy?"_

_"I am here."_

_Perry dreamed he was a baby again, lying in his little cave in the zoo. His mother padded over to him._

_"I am here, my magical platypus." She said. Pansy lay down next to him and he cuddled against her._

_Baby Pablo climbed on top of Perry and sat on him._

_"Perry? Perry?"_

Perry jolted awake. Phineas was sitting on the edge of the bed. "You okay, Perry?"

"Fine."

"You kept calling for your mother."

"Weird dream." Perry said.

A storm was going on outside. Perry hoped Prince had gotten back to Danville all right.

"You remember your mom?"

"Of course. I see her a lot, you know. She's mindless. She took good care of me when I was little, though."

"I remember my mom."

"Of course you do. You only saw her, what, four hours ago? I think you're half-asleep again. Why are you in my room?"

"Ferb won't let me sleep. He keeps singing 'Wurny the Purr' and making me laugh."

"Make up another song and make him laugh. Revenge."

"Like what?"

"The Ducky Momo Alphabet Song."

Phineas looked confused.

"Like, you take every letter of the alphabet and sing to Ducky Momo. Like this, starting with J. Jucky Jo Jucky Jojo, jee's jour jery jest jiend."

"Oh, I see."

"Just make sure you always skip the letter F." Perry said. He rolled over and tried to sleep.

Unfortunately, Pajamas was in their condo that night.

"Jucky Jo Jucky Jojo!" Pajamas chirped.

"Ugh." Perry groaned. "Be quiet, Pajamas."

Pajamas was doing figure-eights around Perry's bed.

"Calm down, Pajamas." Phineas said.

Pajamas settled himself on the headboard of the bed.

"I thought Prince was going to stay longer." Phineas said.

Perry smiled and shook his head. "She had to get back home. If there was anything good about Rex showing up…"

"So, she's not in that gang anymore?"

"Nope."

Phineas smiled. "Good. She's too nice."

"Too NICE? Let me explain something to you…"

"My band-aid's kind of coming off." Phineas said, looking at his arm.

"I think you're inheriting my attention span."

Phineas poked at his bandage and winced. "It's not completely off yet."

"Use hot water." Perry looked up at the ceiling.

"Are you sad?"

"No. Just a little worried."

"About what?"

"I'm just a little antsy to be able to work again. I need to fight Doofenshmirtz. He hasn't seen me very recently."

"Perry… Monogram's got this new guy on his side, Thad, and I don't think I like him."

"How do you…" Perry sat up. "Phineas, I told you to lose the tape recorder."

"Perry, he's weird. He says he loves animals, but… I don't know. I just don't trust him."

"Phineas… just don't listen in anymore, okay? Promise me."

"I promise." Phineas said quietly. He curled up next to Perry and fell asleep.

Perry continued to stare up at the ceiling.

What was Thad doing at the agency? Was he assisting Monogram? Or helping him make decisions?

No matter how much thought he gave the subject, Perry could not understand why Monogram's old childhood friend would show up out of the blue.


	11. Chapter 11

"I'm sad we had to leave." Phineas said.

He, Perry and Ferb were heading down the hall of a hotel. Linda had allowed the boys their own room again.

"Colorado was fun indeed." Ferb said. "Especially with Perry."

Perry smiled. "Even though I came with a psychotic alley cat and a trigger-happy platypus?"

Phineas shrugged. "Still fun. Oh, here's our room. Three nineteen."

He put the key in the door and opened it.

"Cool." Ferb said. "The lights turn on when you-"

He stopped.

Both Phineas and Ferb looked equally confused and seemed rooted to the spot.

"Oh." Phineas said.

He slammed the door shut, his eyes wide. He turned and started quickly back down the hall.

"What?" Perry asked, following him to the elevator.

Ferb seemed like he was trying very hard not to laugh. Phineas jabbed the elevator button, and the doors opened.

All three of them got in. Phineas pressed the button for the second floor, and the doors closed.

"There was… a guy in there." Phineas whispered.

Ferb burst out laughing.

Phineas started laughing too, but it sounded more like nervous laughter.

"A guy? In our room?"

Phineas nodded. "He didn't have anything on."

"What?!" Perry asked.

Ferb was rolling on the elevator floor now. "We opened the wrong door!"

Phineas looked at the key in his shaking hands. "Our room was TWO nineteen. Scary the key works for both…"

Perry snickered. "What did he do? Did he see you?"

"I think so." Phineas said. "He was looking at us."

"WE definitely saw HIM!" Ferb said, barely understandable underneath his giggles.

They got out on the second floor and went to room two-nineteen.

Phineas hesitated by the door.

"Want me to open it?" Perry offered.

Phineas handed him the key, and Perry stuck it in the lock, pushing the door open.

"HOLY COW! THERE'S ONE IN HERE TOO!" He shouted, jumping back.

Phineas hid his face.

"Just kidding." Perry grinned. "It's fine, no one's in there. Come on."

* * *

Perry knocked quietly on Monogram's door.

"Come in."

Perry pushed the door open. Monogram was sitting at his desk. A man with brown hair, blue eyes and a bushy brown mustache was standing next to him. They had obviously been talking.

"Agent P!" Monogram said, standing up. "Good to see you made it back safely. I'm so sorry about that whole mix-up with the police, I'm still trying to work it out…"

"This is Agent P?" The other man asked. "The one you always talk about? He's very cute."

"The one and only. Agent P, come meet my best friend since childhood, Thaddeus Badley."

Thad shook Perry's hand. "It's wonderful to meet you, Perry. I hear you're an amazing agent."

Perry shrugged modestly.

"He's in a bit of hot water at the moment." Monogram said. "I'm trying to get him out of trouble. He's been blamed for that blow-up on Danville Factory."

"Why?" Thad asked.

"Apparently the suspect was a platypus."

"Now that's just sick." Thad shook his head angrily. "Just because he's the same species, they assume he committed the crime. People think all animals are the same. Well, they aren't. They're individuals with different personalities."

"Exactly." Monogram said. "Agent P, you need to lay low, as you've been doing. I'm afraid it's too dangerous to keep working."

Oz entered the room at that moment.

Ozwald was a small octopus, bigger than Perry, but not very big for an octopus. He had to wear a water device since he couldn't breathe oxygen.

Perry didn't speak much octopus, so he didn't always understand the clicking noises Oz produced from his beak.

"What is it, Ozzy?" Monogram asked.

Oz shook his head and clicked his beak.

"Peter got stuck in one of the tubes AGAIN?" Monogram sighed. "All right. I'll be right there."

Monogram followed Oz out of the room. Perry glanced at Thad, who motioned for him to go with them. Perry obeyed.

* * *

"Isn't it nice, the whole family going out to eat?" Phineas said, patting Perry on the head.

"I don't see why the whole family has to include Perry." Candace snapped. She was swatting at a fly who was flying in circles around her head.

"What's the fly doing?" Phineas asked.

"Excuse me." The fly buzzed to Candace. "You are interrupting the Tour de Fly."

Perry translated to the boys, then called the fly over. The fly perched himself on Ferb's napkin and looked up at Perry.

"What's the Tour de Fly?" Perry asked.

"It is a race to see who can win the Cocoa Cup." Said the fly.

"What's the prize?" Phineas asked.

Perry asked the fly the same question.

The fly looked at him. "The cocoa cup, of course." He gestured toward Ferb's cocoa mug.

Perry translated again. "What's your name?"

"Marty McFly." The fly said. "My name used to be Frederick McFly, but after I flew around a movie theater- I go there to eat people's popcorn- and saw Back to the Future, I decided Marty McFly was a much better name."

"What's the course for the Tour de Fly?"

"First you have to fly over Mac-and-Cheese Mountain," Marty said. "Then you fly around the red-haired screaming girl and past the Lake of Gravy. Once you get over Green-Bean Gorge, you land on the Cocoa Cup and have won. Then you drink the cocoa stains on the side of the cup."

"Or you could just fly an inch over to Ferb's cocoa from here." Perry said.

Marty shrugged. "I suppose I could." He flew and landed on Ferb's mug, his little tube of a tongue sucking up the sugar.

"Have you ever heard tell of Dragon Rock?" Marty asked when he had eaten his fill.

"No." Perry said.

"I heard that a huge danger is there." Marty said. "Never go if you can help it."

* * *

Perry broke down Doofenshmirtz's door for the first time in months.

Doofenshmirtz looked up from the magazine he was reading. "What the… P… Perry?"

Perry got into a fighting stance.

"Um…" Doofenshmirtz looked around. "Well, you see… uh… I wasn't exactly… planning on you coming today."

Perry stared at him.

"You've been gone, like forever." Doofenshmirtz said, with a bit more resentment in his voice. "And I couldn't just do evil with stupid Sergei. I don't even hate him. I had to request someone I really despised. And he didn't know you came back, either. So if he shows up, it's not really my fault. It's yours."

Peter leapt through the hole Perry made in the wall. He looked around the room and took a step back.

"Peter?" Perry asked.

Peter looked embarrassed.

Perry looked back at Doofenshmirtz, hurt. This was the third time Doofenshmirtz had gone to Peter when Perry hadn't been there.

"Well, you weren't here." Doofenshmirtz said coldly, as if reading part of Perry's thought. "What was I supposed to do? Stand around and NOT do evil? Hello, I'm an evil scientist! It's like, physically IN my title! And like I said, YOU LEFT."

Perry punched him hard in the knee.

"OW!" Doofenshmirtz clutched his leg and grimaced. "What was THAT for?"

Perry turned and stormed out of the wall, ignoring Peter calling after him.

He hoped Doofenshmirtz's knee hurt as much as his "you left".

* * *

Perry jumped into Phineas's lap.

"Perry!" Phineas hugged him. "Where were you? You were gone a whole day!"

"Ready for an insanely long story?" Perry asked.

"Really long?" Ferb asked. He was more focused on the television than Perry.

"Well, not really. So yesterday I went up to Doof's. And guess who was there?"

"Doofenshmirtz?" Phineas asked.

"Well, yes, but guess who else?"

"Um…"

"Klimpaloon." Ferb said.

"Peter the panda." Perry sighed and rested his head on Phineas's arm. "Doof said… some things and basically kicked me out. So I went downtown to find some paper because Pajamas likes to chew it, and then someone grabbed me and handcuffed my hands behind my back. The police. I'd forgotten I was still suspected of… building-exploding. They dragged me off to Danville Prison and locked me in solitary confinement."

"No!" Phineas said.

"Yeah, unfortunately. The only thing in that cell was a bed. Monogram called them and tried to bail me out. When he couldn't, his friend Thad came down."

Phineas's eyes flashed for a moment.

"Don't start on that 'trust' thing. He did a great job arguing with the police. Finally they accepted I hadn't done it and let me out. I just hope Prince stays hidden, wherever she is. They're looking for her."

"Her, specifically?"

"No, but if I saw her, I'd think she'd done it, too. What platypus carries a gun and tries to look like a Tokyo street sign? Good news is, I can work again. Bad news is, Doofenshmirtz apparently doesn't want me to."

"Good, then." Phineas said. "You hated him anyway."

"You don't understand. When you hate someone, and they hate you back, it creates a relationship."

"I heard in the message room today…"

Perry glared at Phineas.

"No, just listen. I heard Thad talking on the phone to some person. He was talking to them about a guy named Percy."

"My father's named Percy, but I doubt Thad knows that." Perry said.

"Thad said Percy didn't seem close enough to something." Phineas squinted, trying to recall more information. "Thad said… 'Keep looking… finding what you can… we can't do anything with him poking around. If he doesn't know, he'll probably find out'."

"Strange." Perry said.

"I'm telling you-"

"I'll look into it." Perry said, more to stop Phineas from talking than anything else. "It does seem weird, I agree. But you need to take that tape recorder out of that conference room, got it?"

"I did." Phineas said. "I put it in the message room instead. That room with all the phones."

Perry smiled and shook his head. "Loopholes. Smart."

Ferb patted him.

They all stared at the TV in silence, watching Kenny Kennington escape from prison for the twenty-third time.


End file.
